The recent refurbishment of the Nenagh Arts Centre in County Tipperary in the Irish Republic represents an impressive piece of international collaboration. In order to ensure the optimum acoustic performance for their stage and seating areas, architect Eoin O'Grady of Healy and Partners turned to the expertise of the Blairgowire, Scotland based A. Proctor Group. The A. Proctor Group's years of experience in the field of building acoustics led them to specify the Sylomer Vibration Isolation system, developed by Austrian company Getzner Werkstoffe.

For over 30 years, the unique properties of the Sylomer elastomeric foam have been used to provide vibration isolation in a range of specialist applications from roof mounted rollercoasters to industrial components. Likewise, the extensive experience of the A. Proctor Group in building acoustics made them the natural choice to advise on the specification and installation of this highly specialised, bespoke solution. The vibration isolation characteristics of the Sylomer can be precisely tailored to match the construction, loadings, and isolation requirements, making it ideal for specialised applications such as performance spaces and transport or industrial applications.

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In the Nenagh Arts Centre, Sylomer grades SR110/12 and SR11/6 were used. These foams were fabricated into custom made floor isolation strips by the A. Proctor Group. These strips fixed directly to the existing joists under the stage and seating areas, and the differing properties of the SR110/12 and SR11/6 foams allowed the same basic floor construction to meet radically different loading requirements for each area. Having only one floor system with straightforward colour coded acoustic components was greatly appreciated by installers Bam Contractors, and ensured that the high performance acoustic systems did not cause any delays during the refurbishment procedure.

The Nenagh Arts Centre showcases a wide range of art forms such as theatre productions, dance, comedy, music, film, and visual arts and each year organises events such as Nenagh Film Week, showing niche films that might otherwise not get a wide public viewing and also screening a range of locally produced short films. The Spleodar festival in October is always packed with entertainment and workshops and is very popular in the town, and the simple installation of the Sylomer system helped ensure that the festival schedule was not disrupted, whilst dramatically improving acoustic separation between the theatre areas.

Further information on the Sylomer system, along with the Proctor Groups full range of domestic acoustic flooring solutions, can be found at www.proctorgroup.com/Products/AcousticSolutions/Sylomer.aspx or contact The A Proctor Group, The Haugh, Blairgowrie, Perthshire, PH10 7ER or visit www.proctorgroup.com or Tel: 01250 872 261 Fax: 01250 872 727

(CD/KMcA)